Warriors, Knights cap season with state hockey wins

A pair of Valley prep hockey teams capped their 2023-24 season with victories.

Wasilla and Colony both notched wins during the final day of the ASAA/First National Cup Division I State Hockey Championships at the Menard Arena in Wasilla.

Wasilla finished third in the tourney after a 2-0 win over South Anchorage. Colony used a 5-4 overtime win over Chugiak to place fourth.

Sterling Myers and Mason Holler scored goals for the Warriors against the Wolverines. Jordan Pfile had a huge day in net, with a 29-save shutout.

Colony’s Aidan Finch scored shorthanded with 7:49 left in overtime to give the Knights the 5-4 win over the Mustangs.

Finch also grabbed an assist on Colony’s third and fourth goals of the game, both in the third period, including another Knights shorty with 48 seconds left in regulation.

Logan Lofland led the Knights earlier, bagging a pair of goals during a 32-second span late in the first period. Matthew Ross also scored.

The Warriors were on a quest for their second trip to the state championship game in the last three years, but perennial power Dimond used a late goal to kill Wasilla’s hopes.

Dimond’s Joseph Hampton found the back of the net with 17.6 seconds in regulation to break a tie and the Lynx added an insurance goal en route to a 5-3 win over the Warriors in the semifinals Friday

Dimond, which edged Wasilla 2-1 in the 2022 state title game, suffered a loss to rival West Anchorage in the championship game.

Branson Starheim, Sterling Myers and Mason Holler scored goals for Wasilla. Starheim’s goal tied the score at 1 midway through the second. Myers and Holler used goals to set up a 3-3 tie in the third.

Holler led Wasilla with a three-point night, a goal and two assists.

Dimond outshot the Warriors 40-20. Bodey Davis made 35 saves for Wasilla.

Wasilla was the No. 2 seed in the bracket.

Colony rebounded from a 3-2 loss to Dimond in the quarterfinals with a 2-1 win over Service in the consolation semifinals Friday. Jacob Seeard-Jenski and Aidan Finch scored for the Knights. Finch netted the game-winner with 12:01 left in the third.

Jamon O’Bryan made 18 saves for the Knights.

Wasilla opened the 2024 state tourney with a lopsided win over Service.

The Warriors skated to an 8-0 victory over the Cougars during the quarterfinal round. Eight different players scored for Wasilla. Mason Holler, Sterling Myers, Brenna Hagel, Dalan Dubie, Grant Barkside, Easton McRee, Gabriel Lamm and Mason Varner all found the back of the net for the Warriors. Barkside led the Warriors with two assists.

Jordan Pfile earned the 15-save shutout in the Wasilla goal.

Dimond held on to edge Colony 3-2 in the quarters. Logan Lofland and Isaac McKenzie scored for the Knights. Dimond’s Joe Christiansen netted the game-winner with 18.9 seconds left in the second period.

The Lynx out-shot Colony 28-22. Jamon O’Bryan made 22 saves for the Knights.

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